6 THE BOOK OF THE LILY 



the leaves varying from grassy narrowness of L. tenui- 

 folium through all the widths and lengths to the massive, 

 heart-shaped leaves of L. giganteum; the flowers with 

 always six segments or petals, with long or short stamens 

 with anthers balanced on them, all proclaim the Lily. 

 The only genus with which it can be confused is the 

 Fritillaria, but the distinguishing characters are too 

 technical to describe here. So intimate, indeed, is the 

 relationship of the Lilies to some of the Fritillaries, that 

 botanists even now are undecided as to which genus some 

 of the species belong. 



From the Amaryllis family, which includes the Common 

 Daffodil, the Lily is known by having the seed vessel 

 above the bases of the petals, instead of below, as in the 

 Daffodil and Snowdrop. 



Such is the botany of the Lily simplified, and will be 

 sufficient for the amateur cultivator until he gathers 

 knowledge from experience, which invariably creates a 

 thirst for wider knowledge ; and when this inquisitive 

 stage is reached he will find gratification in the works on 

 Lilies written by master pens, such as Elwes' sumptuous 

 " Monograph on Lilies," Baker's " Review of the Order 

 Liliaceae," and the more fragmentary writings on the genus 

 in the various " Floras," or the botany of Europe, Asia, 

 and America. 



In a book of this kind, however simply and devoid of 

 technicalities an author may wish to convey his know- 

 ledge to his readers, it is impossible to avoid the use of 

 terms and names common to botanical and horticultural 

 writing ; and therefore no apology is asked for the use of 

 such terms as are embodied in the following pages, which 

 are written only with a view of rendering the text in- 

 telligible and accurate, and so few terms are given that 

 are not in common language that the author is of the 

 opinion that a glossary of terms is unnecessary. 



THE HISTORY OF LILIES in English gardens is interest- 



